W.Va. Awarded for its Work on 21st Century Skills

July 26, 2011

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – For the fifth time in five years the West Virginia Department of Education has been recognized for its efforts to improve 21st century teaching and learning. West Virginia is a recipient of the 21st Century Practice of the Year Award for 2011, which commemorates the nation’s preeminent state-led 21st century skills initiatives.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) cited West Virginia for its Comprehensive Data Access through the Data Portal for 21st Century for Success (DP21) and the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) on the Web (WOW). West Virginia was one of 10 states to be recognized recently for education modernization efforts.

"These initiatives provide excellent examples of the implementation of the P21 Framework across our leadership states," said Julie Walker, executive director of the American Association of School Librarians and chairwoman of P21. “P21 is pleased to recognize and celebrate the states' commitment to 21st century teaching and learning for all students.”

West Virginia’s DP-21 is an interactive data portal that seeks to provide key educators access to data that are indicative of school success and improving student achievement in a single, user-friendly location. WVEIS, West Virginia’s 20-year-old administrative data system used by all county school systems and schools, created WVEIS on the Web as part of its ongoing conversion to a web-based application. This set of tools has been enhanced to collect new data about students, provide linkages to statewide assessments, and provide access to these data not only to administrators but also to teachers. DP-21 and WOW are complimentary systems that together improve educator access to student data.

“Technology is the tool that our teachers are using to forever change the learning landscape and better serve our children in the 21st century,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple. “The changes we are making in West Virginia will help our students better comprehend, problem solve and communicate solutions in real-world settings.”

West Virginia was the second state in the nation to join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. Since joining the partnership, West Virginia has worked to add rigor to its educational system and incorporate 21st century skills through “Global 21: Students deserve it. The world demands it.”

For more information, contact the West Virginia Department of Education’s Communications Office at (304) 558-2699.